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[August 2003]
Honorary Degree for Internationally Renowned Potter
The Surrey Institute of Art & Design University College (Farnham, Surrey, England) has awarded an Honorary Degree to the internationally renowned potter and editor of 'Ceramic Review', Emmanuel Cooper.
Commenting on the decision to award this degree, the Director of The Surrey Institute, Professor Elaine Thomas, said: "We're delighted to be able to recognise Emmanuel's remarkable work through this special award. He is technically proficient, unafraid to innovate and experiment and, through his books and exhibitions, a champion for the boundless possibilities afforded by, as he describes it, 'the alchemy of ceramics'.
"With a commitment to sharing his knowledge through writing and teaching, Emmanuel has set the standard to which many of our own ceramics students aspire. It's our pleasure, therefore, to acknowledge his outstanding achievements in this way."
Emmanuel Cooper is especially noted for high-fired porcelain and stoneware ceramics. Based within the ceramic studio pottery tradition and working primarily with the wheel, forms include jugs and bowls with glazes ranging from bright, turquoise blues and vibrant yellows to gritty textured, volcanic surfaces. His work is included in many important collections, including the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Royal Scottish Museum. He has previously been involved in batch production tableware for a number of restaurants, such as ABC Bakery and the Hard Rock Café.
He was born in Derbyshire and set up his pottery in London in the mid-1960s. Since then, he has had many solo exhibitions and is currently working towards a one-person show at the Fine Art Society, London, to be held in October.
As the editor of Ceramic Review, he is said to have transformed the international magazine of ceramic art and craft into one of the world's leading applied art journals. He is also a writer and critic in his own right, having written over 18 books on different aspects of art and craft. A new edition of 'Ten Thousand Years of World Pottery' was published in 2000 and, earlier this year, Yale University Press published his long awaited biography of the famous potter Bernard Leach. The research for this book led Emmanuel to the primary source material on Leach held within the Crafts Study Centre at The Surrey Institute.
Emmanuel Cooper gained a PhD at Middlesex University and is currently Visiting Professor in Ceramics and Glass at the Royal College of Art. He serves on the council of the Craft Potters Association and is a board member of the Arts Council, London. In 2002, he was awarded the OBE for services to art.
ENDS